


Matryoshka

by MobiAblackout



Category: Men's Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Sex, Wedding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2019-11-14 08:52:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18049415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MobiAblackout/pseuds/MobiAblackout
Summary: Leo and Sergio are going to Neymar's wedding. Two years ago Leo thought Neymar was the one for him but now The One is getting married and he doesn't want to show up empty-armed in front of his ex and his Arabic millionaire husband-to-be.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Nasser Al-Khelaïfi is a Qatari businessman and the president of Paris Saint-Germain.

"I need you to do me a favor." He's not Leo's first choice for this request, but in all honesty, Sergio is the best for this particular problem. It's a big ask, Leo knows this, but he thinks Sergio'll be up for it. He's a pretty easy going guy, well not exactly, but he's usually up for helping a friend. Sergio looks at him skeptically, one eyebrow raised.

"What?" He turns back to the book he's reading, and Leo sighs dramatically, then tosses him the envelope. Inside this seemingly innocuous little thing is the final nail in the coffin of a relationship Leo's always wanted back. Two years ago Leo was in a relationship. It wasn't just a relationship, it was the relationship. He'd been convinced it was with The One. Neymar was everything Leo could want. Pretty, slender, well-muscled, handsome, with the biggest, brightest, deepest eyes, a smile that could melt glaciers and an ass for days. They'd been dating since college. They'd met in a total cliché, at a bar. Leo had been mesmerized, and bought Neymar a drink. One beer led to two, and then it lead to a coffee the next morning, which led to dinner. Months of dates finally led to them officially being a couple. They'd graduated together, they'd faced the poverty of graduation together, they'd lived together, but that came to a sudden end. Neymar had met his fiancée through his work. Neymar studied journalism, and managed to get a job as a junior sports writer for some website. Leo had been proud of him for finding a job in his chosen career so quickly. If he'd known at the time Neymar's job would take him away, Leo would probably have been less proud. . The day after first day at work, Neymar had been quiet. One thing you could never say about Neymar is that he's quiet. It barely took a month for Neymar to dump Leo, and shack up with his Arabic Millionaire. Inside that little envelope is an invitation to his wedding. An invitation which is addressed to Leo Messi and guest. There's no way Leo's not bringing a guest. He's not showing up to Neymar's wedding empty-armed. The only problem is, Leo's single. He's been purposefully single since Neymar left. Purposefully single, and hoping that Neymar will come to his senses.

"So..." Leo starts bravely, but trails off quickly. Sergio's read the invitation, then tucked it in the back of his book, seemingly utterly uninterested in it. He glances over the top of his book at Leo, and shakes his head once. "Come on! I need this!" Sergio snorts dismissively at him, and deliberately turns the page.

"I'm not going to The One's wedding. I've absolutely no interest in babysitting your drunk ass all night." Sergio doesn't look up from his book, and Leo scoots over the couch, snuggling up close to Sergio's side, pressing Sergio against the arm of the couch. "Don't even try to appeal to my better nature, we both know it doesn't exist, and that puppy-eyes don't work on me."

"It's not one night." Leo squirms, and manages to insert his face between Sergio's and his book. He forces his brightest, sweetest, most charming smile to his lips.

"Leo-"

"It's a weekend... But it's up in the mountains! You can go skiing, and hiking, and there'll be smores, and hot chocolate, and-"

"And no." Sergio scowls at him.

"Please." Leo moves, and sits beside Sergio, slinging one arm around his shoulders, ignoring the way Sergio tenses underneath him. "I wouldn't ask you if there was anyone else, but there isn't, and you're my roomy! We're supposed to help each other out."

"When exactly have you helped me out, hmm?" Sergio tosses his book down on the coffee table, his eyes narrowed as he glares at Leo.

"Plenty! I..." Leo's mind stalls, failing to think of a single occasion when Sergio's come begging a favor of him. There has to be one, but Leo's drawing a blank.

"Yeah... Plenty." Sergio smirks at him, and Leo gives up, settling once more for the puppy-eyes.

"We go up on Friday night. We get a night in a fancy hotel, and then the big wedding, then another night in the same fancy hotel, with all of Sunday to do as we please, and back home on Monday... It'll be fun." Leo smiles hopefully, and Sergio levels him with a heavy, blank stare.

"Why me, Leo?" He asks, his arms folded over his chest, his expression closed. It's a far bigger question than he realizes. Leo wants him to come with him for many reasons, but the biggest is he's kind of hoping to make Neymar feel sorry for him. Sergio's pretty much the opposite of Neymar, and Leo's hoping that when Neymar sees what Leo's with now, he'll feel so bad that he'll run back to Leo, though he doesn't think that'll go down too well with Sergio. There are other better, though more painful reasons that might appeal to Sergio's often denied better nature.

"I don't wanna go on my own. He was... Ney was, is the love of my life, and he's marrying someone else. I can't face that on my own." Leo glances away, unable to admit something so personal under Sergio's blank glare. Sergio's hand on his shoulder startles Leo, and he looks up at him.

"I'm going to regret this, aren't I?" He asks softly.

"You'll come with me?" Leo, without thinking, snatches up both of Sergio's hands, and squeezes them tightly. Sergio generally doesn't much like being grabbed, and he reacts badly, yanking his hands free, and moving from the couch to the chair on the other side of the coffee table.

"I agree to help you." Sergio says quietly, his hands hidden up the sleeves of his shirt. "On one condition." His eyes dart around the room, like he can't decide where he should be looking.

"Almost literally anything." Leo's trying to think of what Sergio could possibly want, but he's not good at predicting Sergio. His room-mate is always capable of confounding him.

"I want you to..." Sergio's gaze settles on the book he'd been reading. "I... I'll tell you later. It's nothing over the top, but... I'll tell you later." Sergio grabs his book, and resumes ignoring Leo.

"Well, that's ominous." Leo laughs.

"Take it, or leave it." Sergio shrugs. Leo has no choice, and if he knows Sergio at all, his request will be mostly harmless. Sergio's not overly given to letting other people take care of things for him, there's an independent streak a mile wide in him.

"Oh, I will take it! I'll take it a thousand times over." Sergio laughs at him, and looks over the top of his book with a decidedly wicked smirk.

"Well, that's good to know." He laughs as Leo's cheeks start burning. He's usually a lot less prone to walking straight into innuendo. "So what's the dress-code?" Sergio pulls the invitation out of his book, and starts reading it over again. Leo already knows what the dress-code is, and he doubts Sergio'll be impressed.

The rest of the week, the invitation arrived on Monday, Leo spends concocting a story of how he and Sergio came to be dating. He spends hours each night drilling Sergio on it, to the point where Sergio got so annoyed he fled. Where he went, Leo's no idea, but he came back in a much better mood, and with a large suit bag slung over his shoulder. Leo ended up having to rent a suit, not that he minded, but he thinks that Neymar might, and he doesn't want to unimpress Neymar, even now he wants Neymar to be impressed with him.

On Friday, they set off after Leo, and presumably Sergio have finished working. In all honesty, Leo's not entirely certain what it is Sergio does for a living. He's often out at weird hours, and when he's in the apartment, he'll be sitting around with his nose buried in a book or watching TV. When pressed on his profession Sergio will change the subject artfully, and by the time the conversation's done, Leo'll have forgotten what they'd started talking about in the first place. Sergio is, by nature, a very evasive and standoffish man. It's not a bad thing, it's just weird for Leo. Neymar had been so available all the time. He'd throw his emotions at you with the heart-felt honesty of a child. He'd spill every thought, every idea, everything out at Leo constantly, and after that, Sergio's more reserved nature is odd. Leo does like it though, when Sergio tells you something, it's because he thinks it's important, with Neymar he told you things because he'd thought of them.

The drive up to the mountains is one Leo insists on making. Sergio's already doing him enough of a favor in being there. It's a pleasant drive, the scenery is beautiful, and when it comes into view, the hotel is nice too, nestled on the side of a mountain, with a forest wrapping around it, then flowing down to a little guardhouse. It looks as beautiful as the photos online, more beautiful even. Sergio's still engrossed in his book, ignoring Leo as he has been for most of the drive out here, and there's a part of Leo that thinks he should be enjoying the glory of nature instead of words on a page.

"You remember everything?" Leo asks, glancing over at Sergio once more, before turning onto the long winding road up to the hotel, and informing the guard that he's there for Neymar's wedding.

"We met about a year and half ago when I was looking for a room-mate." That part of the story is true. Leo had decided that sticking to the truth where they could was the best idea. The less made-up stuff he has to keep track track of the better. "We started dating six months ago. Our first date was at some fancy restaurant, but neither of us are fancy restaurant guys, so we ended up getting pizza instead. How am I doing so far? Sticking to your stupid story?" Sergio sets his book down, and starts looking out of the window. "At least it's pretty." He mutters.

"Yeah... It's nice." Leo sighs. "Neymar's always had an eye for this sort of thing." He laughs, and can feel Sergio's eyes on him. He thinks that he sounds too wistful even now, even two years after being dumped Leo's still hung-up on Neymar. It hits him then that this was almost undoubtedly a horrible idea. "I should have said no, shouldn't I?"

"Yes." Sergio answers plainly, and Leo barks a laugh at his bluntness. "But you didn't, and we're here now." Sergio sighs, and smiles at him. "I'm not a very good actor, I warn you now... I probably should have warned you sooner really." It actually looks like Sergio's blushing slightly, and Leo's more than a little surprised. He didn't think Sergio was capable of being embarrassed.

"It'll be fine." Leo mutters, his mind conjuring all the ways in which this situation will be anything but fine. All of the people he went to Uni with will be there, Neymar's family, people who know Leo, people who've seen him in love, and are going to be going over his relationship with Sergio with a fine toothed comb. Worse than that though, Neymar's fiancée will be there. The man who stole Neymar from him. The man who Neymar is marrying. The man who is decidedly not Leo. The Arabic millionaire. "We're gonna have to engage in PDAs." Leo says suddenly. Sergio squawks. There's no other word to describe the noise he makes just then. It was a kind of high-pitched, indignant noise that makes Leo laugh at him. "We've been dating six months, Sergio."

"Exactly! Six months! We should ask for separate beds." He folds his arms over his chest, and seems to be pointedly staring out of the passenger side window. "We can hold hands, and... Warn me, okay?" He mutters without turning to look at Leo. "If you're going to do something affectionate warn me."

"How? You want me to be all hey sweetie-pie I'm gonna kiss you, and cuddle you, and then fuck you in front of the groom?" Leo laughs, and Sergio turns quickly to glare at him, his lips pressed into a thin line.

"First, do not call me sweetie-pie. Second do you honestly think this is an unreasonable request? Is it unreasonable that I should want you to ask me if it's okay to hold my hand, or to kiss me? Is it-"

"Alright." Leo slows the car as they approach the parking lot, scanning around for a spot to park. "I'll give you a warning... Fuck, I'll even ask if it makes you feel better."

"Thank you." Sergio mumbles, and scrubs a hand over his face. He looks like he might be going to say something else, when his attention is caught by a figure waving over at the car, directing them to an empty space. "There, where the waving idiot is."

"That's him..." Leo's heart leaps into his throat, and Sergio scoffs.

"That's Neymar?" He sounds horribly unimpressed, but Leo doesn't care. His attention is entirely caught by Neymar. He looks incredible. Beneath his suit he looks more built, his hair is back to it's natural state, the blond he used to have is gone, his beard is neatly trimmed, his smile even more breathtakingly handsome than Leo remembers.

"Leo! I'm so happy you made it!" Neymar's loud, enthusiastic screech is wonderful to Leo's ears, but Sergio seems to wince at the sound of it. Neymar rushes over to Leo, and pulls him into a tight hug. It takes everything Leo has to not pull Neymar in tighter. This brief moment of having him back in his arms, it makes Leo mourn the past. "And you brought someone..." Neymar steps away from Leo, his eyes focused on Sergio.

"Sergio Ramos." Sergio offers Neymar his hand.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Sergio. Leo didn't tell me he was seeing someone..." Neymar smiles awkwardly, shaking Sergio's hand quickly, and then stuffing his hands into his pockets. The expression in his eyes is almost disgusted, but Leo can understand where Neymar's coming from. Sergio looks slightly homeless, or at least like a man who's down on his luck. His beard is ridiculously long, and thick, his hair is a shaggy mess, prone to sticking up in a million different directions. He is the exact opposite of Neymar's sleek, refined looks, and it seems like Leo's plan for getting Neymar back is working perfectly.

"It's... We're taking it slow." Sergio offers, and glances over at Leo, a barely there smile on his lips.

"Ah! I see." Neymar nods, and then gestures to the hotel. "So dinner is at seven, formal dress please. I can only hope you've better luck at getting him to look nice than me." Neymar starts walking, clearly expecting to be followed. "He always hated having to look fancy."

"I don't see the point in getting dressed up, Neymar." Leo mutters, helping Sergio with their luggage, and trailing after his ex, his eyes unashamedly focused on Neymar's pert ass.

"It's nice." Neymar snaps, and then laughs, turning to face them. "God...It's like nothing's changed." He smiles brightly, and rests a hand on Leo's shoulder, his eyes flicking to Sergio as he squeezes. "I'm so happy we stayed friends, Leo. I'd really hate for you to miss my wedding." With that Neymar shoots Sergio an odd look, an expression so odd that Leo wants to turn around so he can see what expression Sergio's wearing to cause it. "You're in room four-three-four." Neymar leads them to the elevators, and then leaves Leo and Sergio alone.

"How the hell did you manage to date that guy?" Sergio hisses once they're inside their room.

"Huh?" Leo mutters, not really paying attention to what Sergio's saying. There's only one bed, something Leo had been expecting, but hadn't thought on the logistics of. One bed means that they'll have to share. "I'll take the couch." Sergio tosses his bag at the couch Leo hadn't even seen, then flops down on to it. He starts rooting through his bag, and pulls his book out, opening it.

"You don't have to... I dragged you out here." Leo takes a seat on the edge of the bed, and watches Sergio carefully not looking at him, clearly pretending to read as his eyes aren't moving over the page at all."I'm shorter than you-"

"You take the bed, Leo." Sergio's eyes flicker up from what he's not reading to meet Leo's, a small smiles flits over Sergio's lips, and he turns back to his book. "I don't mind sleeping on couches. Before I moved into the apartment, I was couch surfing, so it's nothing new." Leo nods absently at Sergio's words, and isn't sure how to answer that. Sergio's not usually so open about himself. That little snippet of information is one of precious few Leo has about Sergio.

"You sure?" Leo can't help but asking, and Sergio nods absently, his attention genuinely caught by his book this time.

"So are we going to dinner?" Sergio asks after maybe an hour has passed. Leo had taken to watching TV, and panicking about what kind of suits Sergio had in the suit bag. He's dreading Sergio pulling out a plum velour, or a powder blue polyester one. He wouldn't put it past Sergio to pull a mean prank like that.

"It'd be rude not to." Leo grabs his own suit bag, and considers the fact that he has one suit in there. He needs it for tomorrow, so tonight it's going to have to be one of the button-downs with a pair of formal pants.

"I'm really not above being rude." Sergio grins at him, and Leo tosses a pair of balled socks, from his luggage, at Sergio's head. "Alright, alright. I'll be on my best behavior." He stands, stretching, and carts his suit bag towards the bathroom. "It's six thirty by the way. If you wanna have dinner, you better get a move on." He says as he closes the door.

The dining room is heaving when they arrive, taking a table quite near the door where some people Leo knows he went to Uni with, but can't remember the names of are sitting.

"Hey Leoo!" A woman Leo vaguely remembers getting wasted every chance she could singsongs at him when he takes a seat near her. It seems she's not changed much since college. "So! I have to say I'm surprised that it's not you up there." She waves her wineglass in the direction of where Neymar and his fiancée are sitting.

"I know!" The man sitting beside the woman chimes in, and starts topping up her drink. "Wine, gentlemen?" Leo offers his glass, and Sergio refuses with little more than a shake of his head. "So, what happened with you two, Lee?"

"Leo." Sergio corrects quietly, he seems distinctly uncomfortable with being here, and Leo honestly can't blame him. There's more than a few people staring at him, and whispering behind their hands. Leo had never realized he knew so many judgmental people.

"Yeah, yeah... Leo, what happened with you and Ney?" The man spares Sergio a quick, critical glance, and focuses on Leo once more.

"We... Well... It's complicated." Leo snatches up his wine glass, and drains it in one go. "Another."

That's almost entirely how the whole dinner passes, someone will come over to Leo, ask him what happened between him and Neymar, then Leo will down another glass of wine. He's not entirely sure that he actually ate anything, and at some stage he loses Sergio. He honestly has no idea how he made it back to the room, but when he wakes up he's lying sprawled over the bed, the comforter draped over him.

He elects to have a shower, and as the water beats down on him, a strange memory comes back to him. Sergio and Neymar's fiancée talking in a corridor.

"Why the fuck are you here?" The fiancée leaning in close, Sergio's arms folded over his chest, his lips pressed into a thin line.

"I'm here, because I'm dating Leo." He snaps, his eyes flicking around like he's trying to spot something in particular.

"Bullshit, he's not your type." The fiancée replies, and catches Sergio's chin, turning Sergio's face to him.

"Types change." Sergio steps back, freeing himself from the fiancée's grip.

"Not that much... I know you... He's not really what you're into. You like 'em taller and richer." The fiancée laughs, and Sergio scowls at him, looking like he's going to say more when he spots Leo, and hurries over to his side.

Leo's not sure if it's a memory, or some strange drunken hallucination, but it's not overly important. What's important is that they get through today. This is the biggest test. This is when Sergio's services as fake boyfriend are truly put to the test. Once he's clean, Leo feels slightly more human, but it's still early, so he slips his boxers on, and slinks back into bed. From where he's lying he can see Sergio. He's curled up on the couch, a blanket wrapped around him tightly. The strange memory tries to drag itself back to the front of Leo's mind, but he shakes it off, watching Sergio as he squirms in his sleep. Leo can feel the beginning of a hangover forming, and he quickly closes his eyes, hoping to sleep it off.

When he wakes up again he feels horrible, and he's no idea how he's going to get through the wedding. The whole thing starts at eleven, and is scheduled to last all day. Sergio looks exhausted when he wakes up, and he doesn't seem capable of doing more than sitting on the couch yawning, until Leo orders a pot of coffee from Room Service. Once he's caffeinated he's more like himself, and quickly commandeers the bathroom. Leo had already showered, so he's really only faced with the prospect of putting on his suit, surviving this hangover, and making himself look happy about watching the man he loves marry someone else.

"Do I look okay?" The Sergio that emerges from the bathroom isn't one Leo's ever seen. In place of Sergio's long, scruffy beard is a neatly trimmed one that hugs the curve of his jaw, and frames his full lips. The usual mess of hair on his head is slicked back neatly. His normal wardrobe of shapeless, too big hoodies, and overly baggy jeans is replaced with a well fitted, beautifully tailored suit.

"Fucking hell, Sergio. You scrub up good." Leo knows he's staring, but he thinks he can be forgiven for that. He's known Sergio for around eighteen months, and he's never seen him look anything other than like he's homeless. The man in front of him looks the exact opposite of the Sergio Leo knows. Normal Sergio isn't exactly unattractive, or at least once you get past the scruff, and how unkempt he looks, but trimmed, and scrubbed up Sergio is undeniably good-looking, undeniably someone Leo would want, if he wasn't still hung-up on Neymar. "People are gonna think I started dating a different guy." Leo laughs, and Sergio definitely starts blushing. He doesn't seem able to meet Leo's eyes, and instead sits down to pull his shoes on.

"What's the plan for this then?" He asks, the task of tying his laces apparently requiring all of his attention.

"Survival, Sergio. We survive this." Leo mutters, and loops his tie around his neck. "I think we'll be pretty near the back, so I guess we watch Neymar marry some asshole, and then I'll get smashed at the bar... On that note, how did I get up here last night?"

"I carried you." Sergio comes over, and turns Leo around, fixing his tie for him. "Matching knots." He grins.

"Can I come in?" There's a call from the other side of the door, and Leo freezes. He'd know Neymar's voice anywhere. Sergio pales, and quickly tosses the blanket and pillow on the couch at the bed. The door opens, and Leo's breath catches in his throat. Neymar is gorgeous, though he looks unhappy.

"Ney?" Leo hurries over to him, and catches his hands quickly, pulling him into the room. "What is it?" Leo glances over at Sergio, at the slightly murderous look on his face.

"Yeah, Ney, what is it?" He snaps, and Leo suddenly remembers the whole ruse, that Sergio's his boyfriend not Neymar. Neymar glares over at Sergio, something unpleasant obviously on the tip of his tongue, but his mouth snaps shut once he takes a good look at Sergio. Leo lets go of Neymar's hands, and moves over to Sergio.

"I'm gonna kiss you." Leo whispers by way of warning, and presses a quick kiss to Sergio's strong jaw. "I'm sure he's just here to make sure we're not gonna be late for his wedding, babe. Isn't that right, Ney?" Leo's surprised by how naturally Sergio had managed to act under that gentle little peck of a kiss. For a man who usually can't bear to be touched, he made that look like the most normal thing in the world.

"I'm..." Neymar sighs, and scowls, his attention focused on Sergio. "Can I talk to him alone?" He waves at Leo, and Sergio turns to Leo. He nods slightly, trying to hold his elation in check. This is exactly what he wanted. Neymar's come to him, Neymar wants to talk to him alone. This is his chance to win Neymar back. Sergio looks reluctant to leave, but he does slip from the room, leaving Leo alone with the love of his life for the first time in two years. "He looks like a different person when he showers, doesn't he?" Neymar laughs softly, and smiles at Leo. "I had come up here to ask if you minded if he wasn't in any of the photos, but... Well, it's redundant now, isn't it?" Leo stares blankly at Neymar. He'd forgotten how shallow Neymar could be. It's not a bad thing, but it's kind of jarring after two years to be reminded of something that had once been common place.

"He's..." Leo trails off, not sure where he's going with that sentence. "So, what can I do for you, Neymar?"

"I... I wanted to know why you're here, Leo." 

"I wanted to make sure you're happy, Ney... I never... I never once stopped loving you." Leo steps closer, gently taking Neymar's hands.

"What about Sergio?" He asks softly.

"He's..." Leo's not sure how to answer that. Sergio's here as a favor. Leo's not really dating him, but he can't say that to Neymar. "It's like he said, we're taking it slow. I... What happened to us, Neymar? We were so good together, baby." Neymar twists his hands free, and shakes his head.

"I fell in love with Nasser, Leo... He's amazing. He's everything I've ever wanted in a man. Strong, handsome, charming, sweet-"

"Rich?" Leo mutters, the memory that'd come to him in the shower surfacing once more. Neymar turns beet red, and smacks Leo's shoulder.

"Very rich!" He laughs shamelessly, Leo wants to throw up, obviously Neymar wants the man because of his money, and Nasser wants Neymar for his youth and beauty. "Seriously though, we were children. It was never going to last, Leo. I'm glad you've moved on. Sergio seems... Well, I'm hoping to get to talk to him some more, but I'm glad you're with someone. I was worried for you, your messages were always so... It's not the same as it was, but I'd like for us to be friends." In that moment, with those words from Neymar's mouth, Leo decides he's going to get so drunk he can't move as soon as he can.

"Yeah... Friends." The smile Leo forces to his lips feels like daggers being rammed into his heart. Neymar beams at him, and hugs him again. His lips brush Leo's cheek. A tiny, pale imitation off the intimacy they once shared.

"Okay." Neymar grins, and steps away, his hands resting on Leo's shoulders. "Right! I'll see you out there." He leaves the room, and Leo crumples onto the bed. It feels like he's been lying there for an eternity when Sergio comes back, and pokes him in the side.

"C'mon, we've a wedding to get to." He mutters. Leo groans, sitting up.

"My heart is in pieces, and you're worrying about this wedding? You're a shit boyfriend, no wonder you're single." Leo takes his shoes from Sergio, and stuffs his feet into them. "I'm going to hold your hand. I need the moral support." He warns Sergio, and grabs his hand, relieved that Sergio only tries to tug away once.

The service is beautiful. Neymar's family did themselves proud. The happy couple looks infuriatingly just that. They look delighted. He can resent Al-Khelaifi , but he can't hate the happiness he brings Neymar with his money, because seeing Neymar so happy makes Leo happy for him. They're clearly better together than Leo and Neymar were. It hurts to admit, but it's true.

"How you holding up?" Sergio asks halfway through the ceremony, and Leo can't really find it in himself to answer properly. He shrugs vaguely, and when Sergio takes his hand, holding it tightly, he's grateful for the silent show of support.


	2. Chapter 2

After the ceremony's finished, they're all ushered into the dining room, and Leo wastes no time in starting on the wine. He intended to get wrecked, and he means to follow through on that intent. He finishes the first bottle of wine before the first course is served, and by the time dessert is over he's polished off another bottle. Sergio seems to be fending off a lot more advances than he seems happy about. The men approaching him are clearly all friends, or colleagues at least, of Nasser Al-Khelaifi . Rich Arabic guys who seem intent on getting Sergio out onto the dance floor with them. Sergio waves them all off. He seems to be taking his role of Leo's boyfriend very seriously, constantly asking Leo if he thinks he's had enough, if he'd like some bread to soak the booze up, or at least some water to dilute all the wine he's consumed.

"Say, Leo?" Leo glances up from his contemplation of his wine glass, and the unfairness of his lot in life at the sound of his name from an unfamiliar voice. He sees Neymar, and his new husband standing in front of him.

"Yeah?" He's not sure what they want, but Neymar actually looks slightly annoyed about being there, and whilst he had always hated when Leo drank too much, Leo's pretty confident that's not what's causing Neymar's annoyance.

"You mind if I borrow the lovely Sergio?" Nasser holds his hand out to Sergio. Leo's almost inclined to tell him to fuck off, he's already stolen the love of Leo's life, he doesn't need to be stealing his room-mate too. Sergio laughs, and lets Nasser pull him to his feet, and out onto the dance floor. Neymar takes Sergio's seat, and pours himself a glass of wine.

"How did you meet him, Leo? He's really not the sort of guy I'd expect you to go for." Neymar sounds pissy.

"He was looking for a room-mate. I managed six months in our place, but I couldn't afford the rent on my own, and it was our place... It just wasn't the same without you." Leo mutters, watching Nasser dancing with Sergio. 

"But..." Neymar shakes his head, and downs his wine. "What are you doing now? Still in the same job?" He changes the subject, turning to face Leo properly, ignoring the sight of his husband dancing with someone else.

"Yeah... I... Nothing much has changed, Neymar. There's not much point in changing without you." Leo drains his glass, and tops it up.

"One thing's changed." Neymar offers his glass for a refill.

"Yeah, you're married to someone else." Leo snarls unhappily as he fills Neymar's glass.

"I was talking about you and Sergio." He laughs. It takes Leo's drunk brain a moment to catch up, and he manages to laugh along without too much delay.

"Yeah, me and Sergio." Leo trails off, turning to look at Neymar, but he's not paying attention. He's focused on his husband and Leo's boyfriend, an ugly scowl on his face. Leo wonders if he should say something, but the song ends, and Sergio is back with them quickly. Neymar grabs his husband, and the pair of them are out dancing together as though nothing happened.

"You wanna dance?" Sergio asks after Leo's finished another bottle of wine. He looks over at Sergio blankly. He's sure he's not sober enough to be able to do much other than sway uncoordinatedly, so he shakes his head. The next time a man asks Sergio to dance, he accepts, and Leo starts in on another bottle of wine. When that bottle's done, Leo decides he's probably had enough, and barges out onto the dance floor to fetch Sergio.

"We're going to bed." Leo takes Sergio's wrist, and cuts in on the man he was dancing with. The man spares Leo a harsh look, and says something to Sergio that's too quiet for Leo to hear. Sergio shakes his head at the man, and he skulks off, leaving Leo and Sergio alone.

"How much did you drink, Leo?" Sergio asks. He looks concerned, and for a moment Leo's lost for something to say. The alcohol is pointing out just how attractive shaved and suited Sergio is.

"Not so much that I can't have one dance." Leo laughs, and wraps an arm around Sergio's waist, pulling him flush to Leo's chest. "You smell nice." He mumbles, inhaling Sergio's scent. "Do you always smell like this?" Sergio doesn't answer him, his arms simply wrap around Leo, and he starts moving, half dancing half holding Leo up.

They make their way up to the room with very few problems. Sergio seems to have become incredibly squirrely since their dance, but Leo supposes it's because he's been drunk, leaving all the responsibility for maintaining their fake relationship on Sergio's shoulders, as well as responsibility for keeping Leo upright. When they get into the room, Leo flops down onto the bed, and catches Sergio's wrist, pulling him down onto the bed with him.

"Sleep here. It's a big bed." He grins, and it looks like Sergio's going to refuse. He's tugging at his wrist trying to free himself. "I won't grope you... I just want you to sleep somewhere nice." If it's the alcohol, or the way so many other people were fawning over Sergio that has Leo acting like this, he doesn't know. The only thing he does know is that he wants Sergio close by him. Sergio's his pretend boyfriend, and he should get the full pretend boyfriend experience, which includes sharing a bed for at least one night. It's been so long since he's shared a bed with someone, and in that moment Sergio is the perfect choice for a bedmate.

"For a little bit." Sergio concedes, but he does get off the bed anyway.

"Where you going?" Leo stumbles off the bed.

"To brush my teeth." Sergio laughs, and Leo nods, following him into the little en suite.

In the bathroom, the alcohol catches up to Leo, but not in the way he'd expected it to. Instead of it making him maudlin, or bilious, it decides to point out how good Sergio looks. He'd shed his suit jacket, tie, and shoes when he'd come into the room, and now with the stark lighting in the bathroom, his shirt is almost see-through. Leo can see the colors of his tattoos, can almost make out what they are, but best, or worst of all, Leo can see the lines of Sergio's arms, the muscles of his chest, his nipples. He's sitting on the edge of the bathtub staring stupidly whilst Sergio talks about something Leo's not even listening to. His mind going back to the after party of Neymar's wedding. The image of Neymar's groom dancing with Sergio, his hands sure and confident on Sergio's body as they waltzed. Following that is the image of Neymar's expression, his pinched sour little scowl. Leo had been torn between saying something to Neymar, and acting at being pissed about another man dancing with his boyfriend. In that end, it hadn't mattered. Sergio had slipped from the dance floor as soon as the song was over, and came back to Leo. Neymar and his husband had gone out to dance, but the memory of Nasser's hands on Sergio's waist had lingered with Leo. Neymar, in that moment, had been so far from Leo's mind. There'd only been room for Sergio, only room for imagining what Sergio looked like out of that suit, and now in this bathroom, Leo's one step closer to knowing. He forces himself to his feet, wobbling only slightly. He presses himself against Sergio's back, his hands on Sergio's waist, feeling what Nasser had earlier in the evening. The body beneath Sergio's clothes is surprisingly firm for a man, who as far as Leo knows, does nothing but sit around reading books. Sergio makes a startled noise, and meets Leo's eyes in the mirror. He looks at once slightly afraid, incredibly handsome, and utterly ridiculous, with his toothbrush is still in his mouth, and foam clinging to his beard around his lips. He spits the foam out, and wipes his mouth with a towel, clearly intent on interrupting Leo's barely formed plans.

"I'm going to touch you." Leo mutters, his hands running up Sergio's chest. "I'm going to kiss you." He murmurs into Sergio's ear, and starts kissing his neck. Sergio's not moved since Leo started touching him. His breathing has speeded up considerably though. Leo meets his eyes in the mirror, he’s standing on his toes to put his chin on Sergio’s shoulder, he smirks as he places another deliberate kiss to Sergio's neck. His hands pushing Sergio's shirt up, exposing his stomach. "You want me to stop?" Leo trails one hand higher, and the other lower, attempting to open Sergio's belt one-handed. Sergio looks close to panicking, his eyes wide, and roaming their reflection frantically.

"Leo... You're drunk." He whispers, his head falling back against Leo's shoulder as he succeeds in slipping his hand into Sergio's boxers. He starts groping Sergio, rolling his balls as much as he can in the tight confines of Sergio's boxers.

"Yeah, and?" Leo pulls his hands away, and starts opening Sergio's shirt. Once it's open, Leo stares at the tattoo below his navel. He's never seen this one before. All the tattoos on his body, the colors fascinate him, the way the waves flow over Sergio's, the brightness, the complexity, the entire design has him captivated.

"And you're drunk... You won't..." Sergio trails off as Leo skims his hands down his stomach again, and starts to unbuckle his belt.

"Do you want me to stop?" Leo repeats, starting on Sergio's flies. Sergio looks torn, his bottom lip caught between his teeth. "Answer me, Sergio." Sergio shakes his head, his gaze averted. "Say it." Leo pushes as he slides Sergio's pants and boxers down his hips. "Tell me you want this."

"I do... Don't stop, Leo." Sergio moans quietly when Leo takes a hold of his cock, stroking it lightly.

"Alright. Bed?" Leo steps away, and heads back to the bed, stripping his clothes off quickly. Sergio leaves the bathroom more slowly, hesitation clear in his slow movements. Leo flops back on the bed, and makes a grab for Sergio's wrist. "I ain't got nothing..." He admits once he's dragged Sergio to the bed. Sergio presses him down against the mattress, kissing him frantically with his plump lips. He's never thought about kissing Sergio, but now that he's started he's not sure why. He's a good kisser, his hands tangling in Leo's hair gently, his movements careful and thorough in stark contrast to Leo's messy, drunken ones.

"I... Wait." Sergio pushes at Leo's shoulders, trying to get him to stop, or at least slow down. "Stop." Sergio moans, and Leo pauses in the trail of kisses he'd been making down Sergio's throat. Sergio squirms out from under him, and slips from the bed, coming back quickly. He still looks uncertain, his expression tightly closed off as he sits on the edge of the bed. "You're drunk, Leo." He repeats, pleading almost, and Leo laughs at him. He sits behind Sergio, and starts pressing nipping kisses over the back of his shoulders.

"I can still get it up, Sergio." He chuckles, feeling Sergio tense at that statement. Whatever it is that's bothering Sergio, it's not that, but Leo's decided that he wants sex, and while he's a little reluctant, Sergio does seem interested, his hard hard cock confirms that. Leo starts groping Sergio's chest once more, squeezing his surprisingly solid feeling pecs, and trailing lower, skimming down as much of his thighs as Leo can reach. "I want you to fuck me." He almost whispers it in Sergio's ear, feeling a shiver working through him. Sergio turns in Leo's arms, and starts kissing him again. He presses Leo back against the bed, his touches to Leo's face are careful, loving almost, but that doesn't really register with Leo. He's more concerned with getting on with this. The decision to have sex has been made, and Leo wants to get on with it. He flips them over gracelessly, and then finds himself staring down at Sergio. His eyes are hard to make out in the darkness of the room, his expression lost to the shadows, but that's not what caught Leo's attention. The tattoos on Sergio's are far more captivating than Leo would like to admit. He can't help but wonder how long it must have taken, how much it must have hurt, how much money it must have cost.

"Leo?" Sergio reaches up to Leo, draws him down for another kiss. It's slow, sensual, and instead of dominating it, Leo follows Sergio's pace, kissing him gently. It's so painfully like kissing Neymar had been back when he loved Leo. He breaks the kiss as soon as that thought occurs to him.

"Did you bring lube?" He asks gruffly. He's trawling his memory for the taste of Neymar, but he can't recall it, and that hurts, he doesn't want to lose more of Neymar. Sergio shakes his head at Leo's question, clearly not sure what's caused the sudden change in Leo.

"I didn't think to... Maybe this is a sign that this isn't the best-"

"It's fine." Sergio grabs the bottle from him, and pops the cap. It's some kind of lotion, he's not sure what, but it doesn't matter, what matters is it'll slick his ass enough for Sergio to fuck him. Sergio coats one finger, and presses it into him.

"Hey!" He gasps, pain hovering in his tone. "It's been a while..." He mutters. One of Sergio’s hands tangle in his hair, trying to draw him down for another kiss, but he resists. He's already lost Neymar's taste, he doesn't want to taint the memory of kissing him anymore. Sergio withdraws his hand, and Leo looks up at him, meets Sergio's eyes, catches the look of pained confusion in them. Leo's certain something in this encounter has changed for Sergio, but he's not certain what. Sergio's biting his bottom lip, his face turned pointedly away as he preps Leo. "I'm ready." Leo sounds wrong when he speaks again, but he's too drunk to work out what the wrongness is, instead he sinks to the warmth of Sergio's body, feeling his cock filling him up, he tries to adjust to the intrusion. His legs wrap around Sergio's waist, his head still pointedly turned to the side, his eyes closed.

"Are-"

"Just move." Leo snaps, suddenly sounding incredibly annoyed. Sergio nods absently, and starts moving, drawing back, then easing forward. He doesn't want to look at Sergio, even when Sergio attempts to get another kiss, Neymar's memory be damned Sergio looks like he needs to be kissed, Leo he keeps his head turned, leaving Sergio to lap and nip at his neck. This had started fun. In Leo's mind it'd started as a nice distraction from Neymar, but some thing isn't right about this, and he can't put his finger on what. The longer Sergio fucks, the most relaxed he seems to get, his body arching into Sergio's thrusts. His hands clutch at his shoulders, his heels digging into his back, drawing him in deeper, harder, faster. Leo can feel his cock trapped between them, hard and leaking pre-cum. One of his hands squirm between them.

"You gonna cum?" Leo asks, nipping at Sergio's ear.

"You a screamer, Leo?" Leo shakes his head, the grip his legs have on Sergio's waist tightening more. "Go on, cum for me." Sergio thrusts into him once more, which seems to trigger Leo's orgasm. His ass tightens around his cock, his body trembling slightly with pleasure. Sergio manages a few more stuttering thrusts, and cums deep inside his body. 

"Thanks, Sergio." Leo chuckles as Sergio pulls out, rolls over, and falls asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was kinda in the same situation as Leo two years ago, I had a big fat crush on a girl but she wasn't interested in girls, she hurt me with homophobic words, but I was in love with her too deeply to realize she was hurting me, after that, I met this amazing girl and I planned to hurt my crush as much she did, I started to act like a couple with my friend in front of her to show her I can be happy without her, end up falling in love with my friend... she is amazing ...we are together for a year and half.
> 
> Hope Leo and Sergio have the same ending...
> 
> Also if you are interested check out my other works.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> surprise, it's short

Sunday morning Leo wakes up with a hangover that's nowhere near as bad as yesterday's, and the strange awareness of someone else in bed with him. He's slept alone for the last two years, but he's not forgotten what it's like to lie in a bed with someone else there. He turns to his side, and stares at Sergio's back. He's curled into a little ball on his side, trying to take up as little space as possible. Leo's not entirely sure what he should do. He'd definitely not intended to have sex with Sergio. He'd expected to do nothing but being spectacularly drunk all weekend, and have Sergio play the part of the exasperated boyfriend. Sex hadn't been on the cards, and he's not sure how he feels about having slept with Sergio. Maybe Sergio won't bring it up. It might be that Sergio will chalk this up to Leo being drunk, and miserable, so he won't mention it again. It will change things between them, but Leo hopes it won't ruin their friendship. He'd hate to lose Sergio as a room-mate. He's fairly quiet, he pays the rent on time, he even cooks occasionally and plays guitar. He's a good person to live with, and Leo hopes one drunken accident won't spoil that. He reaches out, tentatively touching Sergio's back, his brain recalling the softness of his skin, and the bright colors inked across Sergio's back.

"Sergio?" Leo whispers tentatively. He hopes Sergio's asleep, and when he doesn't answer Leo heaves a sigh of relief. He slips from bed, and goes to the shower. When he returns to the bedroom, the bed is empty. Thankfully Sergio's bag is still there, so at least he's still in the hotel. Unlike yesterday, there's no set plan for today, and Leo's hoping it'll pass quickly. He'd quite like to spend some time out on the slopes; he's never tried skiing, and now seems like as good a time as any to learn.

"And then, he knocks the guy clean out." A loud laugh Leo doesn't recognize follows that statement, then laughter Leo does know, Neymar's awkward squawking laugh, and Sergio's more mellow one don't mix well. Once Leo had been delighted by Neymar's laugh, but now he will concede it is rather grating. "I do miss-"

"Leo!" Neymar calls out to him as Leo enters the dining room. Leo approaches the table slowly; sitting around it is Neymar, looking radiant, his husband, Sergio, and a rotund man Leo doesn't recognize. The man has an arm slung over Sergio's shoulders, and surprisingly Sergio looks entirely comfortable with that. The memory from Friday comes back to Leo.

"Morning." Leo mutters, pouring himself a cup of coffee, and taking a seat at the table. He's not sure what's going on, but he feels like he's missing something important.

"I'm going to assume you don't remember me, Mr. Messi." The old man says, and Sergio shakes his head, a wry smile on his lips as he meets Leo's eyes.

"Uh... Not exactly." Leo offers. He's trying to decipher the message Sergio's trying to give him with that look, but he can't. He's no idea what that expression means.

"Well then, please allow me to re-introduce myself." The corpulent man takes his arm from around Sergio, and holds his hand out to Leo. "My name is Florentino Perez. I was Sergio's manager, back when he was still playing." Leo takes Perez's hand, shaking it absently as he stares at Sergio. "And you have no idea what I'm talking about, do you? Really, Sergio."

"Leave it, Perez." Sergio snaps, and Perez laughs at him.

"Is this another one of these silly I don't want him to know my past bullshit relationships? Honestly, I thought you'd grown-"

"I said leave it, Perez." Sergio repeats, and beside him Perez laughs once more. The pair exchanges a look that says this will be discussed later, and Leo sits there feeling very out of the loop.

"So!" Neymar cuts in, his smile strained. His husband seems amused more than anything, a grin on his face. "What's everyone's plans for today? I think we-"

"I was dating Sergio, you were dating Neymar... It's kind of funny how we switched, isn't it?" The husband says suddenly, his eyes focused on Leo.

"Nasser!" Neymar screeches, and smacks his husband's shoulder. Sergio pales, and glances away. Leo laughs slightly at Nasser’s comment, and wonders what exactly Sergio hasn't told him about himself.

"Yeah... Small world, isn't it?" He reaches over the table, and takes one of Sergio's hands squeezing it firmly. "Who'd have guessed I'd end up with your ex... So, who did the dumping? Sergio here never told me." Sergio looks decidedly uncomfortable, and Nasser looks positively gleeful. He launches into a very surprising story, one Leo knew nothing of, and is incredibly embarrassed by his lack of knowledge on. He's known Sergio for a long time, but he knew none of this. When Nasser finishes talking Sergio looks murderous, and Perez laughs loudly at his expression.

"Sergio, you didn't honestly think you could keep the truth hidden forever, did you? Even if you are dating a clueless idiot-"

"Hey!" Sergio cuts in, his ire turned to Perez instead. "Leo isn't an idiot. I didn't want to date someone who was interested in getting into the business, and Leo has zero interest in who I was, or what I did." Perez raises an eyebrow, and Leo squeezes Sergio's hand. Sergio had said he wasn't much of an actor, but that was a very convinced performance of a man rushing to his lover's defense.

"Who you are, and what you do, Sergio." Perez says mildly. "You're lucky you're with a man who trusts you enough to not ask too many questions." Perez looks over at Leo, a lazy smile on his lips. "You've not been together long though, have you?" Leo shakes his head, and Perez nods understandingly. "He's very important to me, Mr.Messi. If you're sticking around, take care of him." Perez ruffles Sergio's hair, and leaves the table.

After breakfast, Leo had intended to corner Sergio, and ask him how much of what Nasser told him was true. He can't see Sergio as a footballer, but there's been no denials from anyone else seated at the table, especially none from Sergio. It does explain how firm and solid Sergio's body had felt last night. The other major revelation Nasser made was that Sergio was a player for Perez's team. That Leo can see more easily, but still the whole idea of Sergio and football, it jars with what Leo knows of him. Perez monopolized Sergio's time, talking shop with him. Even at meal times, Perez was there talking Sergio's ear off, leaving Leo with nothing to do but brood and drink. Both he did admirably. He'd led Sergio up here with false promises of skiing, and hot chocolate, but all there's been is a lot of wine, a lot of miserable feelings, and last night. Leo would quite like to talk to Sergio about that too, but there really seems like there's no way around the considerable obstacle that is Perez. So, Leo drinks, drinks, and drinks some more, until eventually he forgets why he started drinking in the first place, just like the last two days he's spent in this hotel.

"Of course he doesn't know... How could he?" Sergio's soft voice gently draws Leo from his alcohol induced sleep. "No, it's okay... Alright, so it's not okay, but it will be. I can handle this, it's just tomorrow morning, and everything goes back to normal." There's a long pause, a pause in which Sergio shifts, and carefully strokes Leo's hair from his forehead. It's hard to pretend to be asleep under that gentle touch. "I know it won't be the same. I know that too." He sighs softly, his fingers trailing over Leo's face carefully. "I... I wasn't. He needed me, how could I say no?" There's another long pause, and Leo can hear a muffled voice talking to Sergio. He's clearly on the phone to someone. "He doesn't need that... He doesn't need anything from me, but half the rent." It's getting harder to lay still under the so very gentle caresses Sergio's giving Leo's face. He suddenly stops, and gets off the bed. The bathroom door opens, then closes quietly behind Sergio. "I know. I wasn't thinking, we established that!" Sergio sounds annoyed with whoever he's talking to, and Leo shifts in the bed so that he's closer to the door. "Dammit, I know! I'm a fucking idiot! I know this already. I don't know why I thought talking to you would be any use! What? You expect me to just blurt it out? Hey Leo, you wanna know why I never told you who I was? You wanna know why I didn't tell you I was kinda famous? Well! It's cause I wanted you to get to know me. It's cause I think you're fucking gorgeous, and I wanna fuck you. Oh, and before I forget, I might slightly be in love with you, no biggie though. Yeah, that's a great idea!" Leo's eyes widen at that. Sergio wants to fuck him? He thinks Leo's gorgeous? He's in love with Leo? It's not exactly what he was expecting to hear, but it does mean that what happened on Saturday night makes more sense. Leo might have been drunk and angry, but Sergio wanted it. He wanted whatever Leo would give him, not because Leo needed it, not because he was horny too, but because it was Leo. For the first time since he's been in this hotel, Leo feels sick for a reason other than alcohol. He took advantage of Sergio. It might have been consensual and willingly given, but he undoubtedly took advantage of Sergio. "I have one favor to ask of him... One thing, and I know what it is. I'll ask him when we're back, and it'll be done." Leo swallows back the bile that's climbing up his throat, and stares up at the ceiling. "No, not that. I'm going to ask him to find a new room-mate. I can't stay with him after this. Can I? Thanks, man. I'll be over on Tuesday." Sergio stays in the bathroom for a long time, and Leo feels sicker, and sicker. He thinks he can hear sobbing, and he really hopes it's just his mind playing tricks on him. If he'd known Sergio was attracted to him, he'd never would have asked him to do this, but he didn't. Sergio was too good at hiding the truth of himself, and Leo hurt him. He's going to have to find a new room-mate, because he's almost certain he can't make this up to Sergio. He can't imagine how Sergio must feel. To be nothing but a hole to fuck to the person you're in love with has to be the worst feeling in the world.


	4. Chapter 4

He must have fallen asleep at some stage, because when Leo wakes up again, Sergio's not there. His bags are packed, and thankfully still there, so Sergio must still be in the hotel. Leo dresses, and packs quickly as he tries to process everything he learned about his room-mate yesterday. It was a day of revelations, a weekend of revelations really, and Leo's not sure how he feels about any of them. Sergio's secretive, too secretive, and Leo's no idea how to react to any of those secrets now that they're revealed. Successful, handsome, kind of famous, employed in general, there's so much more to Sergio than Leo ever knew, and he feels a fool for never trying harder to find out more about him.

At breakfast, Sergio does an incredible job of playing at Leo's boyfriend, and an incredible job of hiding the pain Leo had heard last night. If he hadn't overheard that phone call, he'd assume that everything was fine, but he did overhear, and he knows that everything isn't fine. How he's going to bring it up, how he's going to apologise he's not sure, but he has the whole ride home to think about it.

The drive back is tense. Sergio had taken the driver's seat, and seems to be intent on getting them back home as quickly as possible, speeding tickets be damned. Leo keeps glancing at him, wondering how he could have known someone for so long, but know so very little about him. Sergio's kind of famous. He's kind of well known. He's kind of a big deal, and Leo had absolutely no clue. Former footballer. Sergio's not just the guy Leo rents an apartment with, Sergio's somebody. He could have told Leo. He could have mentioned it, so Leo didn't look like an idiot all day yesterday. Though, that's the least of Leo's problems when it comes to Sergio. There's the overheard phone-call from last night. Sergio has feelings for him. This whole thing was unspeakably cruel, and there's no way to make this up to Sergio.

"Hey, Sergio?" Leo starts, and Sergio glances over at him.

"You overheard my phone call, didn't you?" He snaps, seemingly resentful of having to give way at a junction. Leo nods slightly, and Sergio winces, drumming his fingers on the wheel as he starts driving once more. "I'm moving out. The favour I'm going to ask you is to forget about this whole thing." His voice is sharply terse. Leo takes a deep breath, steeling himself for what he's about to do.

"Pullover." He says it desperately, like he's close to being sick. Sergio swears under his breath, but does pull over at the side of the road. Leo gets out of the car, and walks around it, opening the driver's door. He grabs Sergio's arm, and pulls him out of the car. He knows that Sergio could lay him out easily enough, but Sergio willingly allows himself to be dragged out of the vehicle. "I'm sorry." Sergio laughs, and shakes his head.

"Don't." Leo tries to speak again, but Sergio holds his hand up. "It's... It'll be fine. You'll find a new room-mate, and it'll be fine." Leo huffs out a breath, and bats Sergio's hand down.

"I'm trying to apologise to you. Will you-"

"You don't need to apologise to me, Leo. You were drunk, and I... I took advantage of that. If there's anyone who needs to apologise, it's me. I'm sorry, and I'll be gone by Tuesday. I'll pay the rent till you can find someone-"

"Stop." Leo snaps. Sergio falls silent, his gaze fixed on the ground. The vague memory of his naked body, the details of the tattoos, the way he felt inside of him. It's not the time, so very much not the time, but he can't help remembering. It felt good, different to how it felt with Neymar, but so very good all the same. "I didn't know how you felt. If I had none of this would have happened." Sergio looks like he's going to interrupt, so Leo forges on. "If I'd known you were even a little attracted to me-"

"You'd have done nothing, because you're not attracted to me." Sergio laughs at him, and Leo suddenly finds the ground as interesting as Sergio had.

"You looked homeless for a year and a half." Leo mumbles, earning another laugh from Sergio. "I can see you now and I li-"

"If you were ever my friend, Leo, don't finish that sentence." Sergio's voice is rough, so much so that it almost hurts to hear it.

"Don't move out." Sergio clearly wasn't expecting Leo to say that, he looks genuinely shocked, his eyes wide. "I like living with you... I wanna keep living with you. If you want to make that favour that we never talk about this again, then okay. I'd... I wanna talk about this though." Leo laughs suddenly, and shakes his head as he hops up to sit on the hood of the car. "I wanna talk about it, but I've no fucking clue what to say. You think you were taking advantage of me-"

"I was!" Sergio cuts in. "I knew that you'd do pretty much nothing but get drunk this weekend. I knew that seeing Neymar would be hard for you. I didn't know that Nasser was gonna be there, but I knew he was marrying someone important in football, and that they'd probably know me. I knew that things would get messy, but I still went along with it, because I wanted to help you, because I wanted you to be grateful. Fuck... I wanted you to at least see me for a change. You came here to get Neymar back, and I came here hoping you'd forget all about him. Stupid, huh?" Sergio's laugh is bitterly self-deprecating.

"We were both stupid." Leo offers, getting another horrid laugh from Sergio in response. "I was stupid to think I could get Neymar back. He's moved on, and I'm living in the past." Leo's fingers feel twitchy, like there's something they'd like to be doing, but he's not sure what. "I did see you, Sergio. I saw you before the suit, and the shave-"

"And the money." Sergio snaps, his arms folding across his chest.

"Money? What money?" Leo stares at him blankly for a moment, then he realises that Sergio must have a fair bit in the bank, that his past as a footballer must have made him a fair amount. 

"It honestly never occurred to you?" Sergio laughs, then flops down on the grass at the roadside. "All you saw was a weird scruffy dude... You probably thought I sold drugs to pay the rent."

"I thought you were some rich kid playing at poverty." Sergio shakes his head, a sad little chuckle escaping him.

"I've had to fight for everything." He sighs, and lifts his head, meeting Leo's eyes. "I didn't want to have to fight anymore. I wanted you, Leo, but I don't have it in me to fight anymore, so I just kind of hoped you settle for me as a participation trophy, because there's no way I could win a fight for you, I'm too tired." He drops his head once more, and Leo stares down at him, trying to work out what he should do.

"There's no one to fight for me." Leo slips down from the hood, and sits beside Sergio. "Unless you count me, and the fact I'm an idiot." Leo nudges Sergio's shoulder lightly, hoping to get some kind of reaction other than the exhausted misery Sergio seems to be lost in.

"And still in love with someone else." Sergio shakes his head, and when it looks like he's going to stand Leo grabs his wrist, holding him in place.

"Sorry about grabbing you, I should have warned you." Leo doesn't release his grip on Sergio, instead he stares down at Sergio's fingers. "I'm going to hold your hand." He says before he entwines their fingers. Sergio sits very still, so still that Leo's not sure he's breathing.

"Okay." Sergio says eventually, not looking at Leo, his gaze turned to the sky. Leo can't quite keep the smile from his lips as he watches Sergio not looking at him. Without all that beard in the way, Sergio really is so much better looking.

"I'm going to ask you not to move out." Leo reaches over, and turns Sergio's face towards him. He's not over Neymar. Getting over Neymar is going to take a long time, longer than the two years Leo's been trying, but he has to make a start, and Sergio is interested. Interested, but currently looking very confused by Leo. "I'm going to kiss you." Leo leans in, and Sergio pulls away.

"No." He stands, but hasn't pulled his hand free from Leo's. "Not yet. If you're asking what I think you are we're going to do it properly, honestly." Sergio tugs on his hand, and Leo stands, keeping a tight grip on Sergio.

"Alright." He nods, Sergio's statement is reasonable. It's a much better idea to start over, to be honest with each other, honest with everyone else too.

"Good. Then..." Sergio glances away, and takes a deep breath. "My favor is this, go on a date with me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally over.
> 
> Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> I'm really looking forward to read your opinions, so feel free and tell me what you think.


End file.
